USF’s Jose Fernandez to remain with Bulls after courtship with Miami
Longtime USF women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez has confirmed he plans to remain at the school after receiving overtures from the University of Miami regarding its coaching vacancy.
“The University of South Florida has been my home for the last 24 years and there is no place I would rather be,” Fernandez said in a message posted Wednesday evening to X (formerly Twitter). “I’m so proud to be the head women’s basketball coach at this tremendous academic institution.”
Representatives of Fernandez, 52, recently had discussions with Miami regarding the Hurricanes job that opened when Katie Meier retired after 19 seasons. A Miami native, Fernandez — who has two daughters and a brother living in Miami — logged coaching stints at the prep and college level in his hometown before arriving at USF in 2000.
Last fall, he signed a two-year contract extension with USF that, in theory, keeps him as Bulls coach until 2029. He enters the 2024-25 season with 462 career victories, and has led the Bulls to eight NCAA Tournament berths in the past 11 seasons (excluding the abbreviated COVID-19 year).
“With our outstanding leadership,” Fernandez posted, “we are in a position to accomplish even greater successes in the years to come.”
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls
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